Bottle or jar cap



May 24, 1932. F. NEUBAUER BOTTLE OR JAR CAP Filed Sept. 28, 1931 H O T N E V m lll/II/ at, r'zazzjunwfl Ive-015a urn ATTO RNEY Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE FERDINAND NEUIBAUER, OF BROOKLYN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF TWENTY-FOUR AND ONE- HALF PER CENT TO FRANK FORTHALLER AND TWENTY-FOUR AND ON E-HALF PER CENT TO JOSEPH PAZOUREK, BOTH F CLEVELAND, OHIO BOTTLE OR JAR CAP Application filed September 28, 1931. Serial No. 565,452.

V for bottles, jars, crocks, and the like.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a closure'member of simple and economical construction which can be readily attached to or removed from a bottle or jar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure member with laterally shiftable means for resiliently clamping said member to the bottle or jar with liquid and airtight sealing efl'ect.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a closure member having overapping resilient gripping jaws, and means for automatically moving the jaws into or out of clamping and locked engagement with the bottle or jar. j

7 An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown by the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a vertical section through the closure member attached to a jar. Figure 2 is a plan view of the closure member with the j aw members in open position, and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the clamping jaws in closed or in clamping position. Figures 4 through 9 show the closure member dis-assembled, thus, Figure 4 is a side view of the cam member, Figures 5 and 6 perspective views of the jaws members, Figure 7 a sectional view of the top member, Figure 8 a'sectional View of the disc arranged within the top member, and Figure 9 a sectional view of the sealing ring.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a glass bottle or jar or other container having the usual threaded neck 2 and mouth or filling opening 3. Such jars are also generally formed with a bead 0r beads 4 either at or slightly below the top of the neck for strengthening or other purposes. The present invention is designed especially for use with such conventional form of bottle or jar.

Theclosure member 5 comprises a disc shaped top member 6,-preferably stamped from sheet metal, adapted to fit over and close the bottle opening 3. The member 6 is formed with a depending peripheral flange 7 which encircles the top edge 18 ofthe bottle neck 14. Inserted within the confines of the flange 7 is a second disc 8 centrally bulged downwardly as at 9, to provide a central space 10 between the two discs, and to also form a peripheral recess 11 for holding a rubber gasket or sealing ring 12. A portion of the flange 7 is cut away as at 15 and the end walls of the cut awayportion are bent inwardly at 16 over the peripheral edge of lower disc 8 thus securely clamping the discs 6 and 8 together. This cut away part also provides an opening through which a knife or other instrument may be inserted for the purpose of removing the sealing ring 12.

A pair of slidable clamping jaws 1717' one of which overlaps the other at their inner ends, are connected to each other and to the disc 6 of the closure member 5, by means of a rotatable cam member 18. These jaws are corrugated longitudinally to provide strengthening ribs 19 and recesses 20 respectively on their top and bottom faces, the ribs 19 of one jaw being adapted to interengage with the other recesses 20 of the other jaw at their inner overlapping end portions. This construction serves to maintain the aws in axial alignment with each other during clamping and unclamping movement. The overlapping inner end portions of the jaws are formed with registering rectangular openings 21-21' the outer end walls 21 of which are formed with upturned and downturned flange portions 22 and 23 respectively, which are engaged by the cam member 18 in effecting axial longitudinal movement of the jaws. as will presently be described.

The jaw actuating cam member 18, previously referred to, is formed with a reduced lower cylindrical end portion or extension 33 which extends through the registering opening 21, 21 and thence rotatably through a small centrally disposed opening 24 formed in the top disc 6 of the closure member 5. The extension 23 is upset after insertion through the opening 24, or if desired, any other suitable means may be employed to rotatably connect the cam member 18 to top disc 6. It should be noted that extension 23 does not pass through the bottom disc 8 and that the latter therefore presents a solid sealing surface to the contents of the jar or bottle. The bottom face of disc 8 will preferably be suitably coated to resist attack of acid or other similar ingredients which may be present in the bottle or jar.

' The outer ends of the jaws 17-17 are bent downwardly over the peripheral'edge of the closure member as at 25, and thence inwardly at their extremities 26 to engage beneath the bead 4; of the jar 1. The portions 25. arebent at an inclination of approximately 45 to the body portion ofthe jaw so that when'the jaws are drawntogether theseinclined surfaces ride up over the periphery of the. closure member 5, with a camaction which causes the'inturned extremities 26 of the jaws to be pulled upwardly intoclamping engagement with the jar bead at. As the jaw members are made of? resilient'yet somewhat stiff sheet metal, the jaws give or have a slight tendency to straighten out; with and consequently can be'drawn into very tight clamping engagement with thebottle neck without danger ofbreakage; As the outer extremities of the jaws are drawn upwardly and inwardly into engagement with the bead ii the cam action of the inclined portions of the jaws simultaneously force the closure member 5downwardly into tight sealingengagement with the top of'thebottle or jar. T-o permit of the closure member being forced downwardly with respect to the jaws there must be slight vertical play or clearance between the top face of the closure member and-the bottom faces of the jaw members.

In-orde-r to provide for this play, that por-- tion of the jaw actuatingcam member which passes through the registering openings 2121 in the jaw members isof somewhat greater length than the combined thickness of the two overlapping'inner ends of-the jaw members.

Reverting to the'rotatable cam member 18 it will-be noted that directly above the round extension 23 thereof the member 18 is cut away at opposite sides to" form cam faces 27 and 28. VVhen-the'winged handle end 31' of the cam member extends transversely to-the jaw members the jaws can be pulled to extended position, to facilitate placement upon the top of'a bottle or jar. The cam 18 is then given a quarter turn during which movement the straight cam faces 27-28 engage and ride half way over the straight inner faces of the flanges 22 and 23 respectively, thus drawing the aws inwardly, toward each other and into clamping engagement with the bottle neck. Laterally extending and upwardly projecting spring locking tongues 28 formed on the inner end of the jaw member 17 are provided for automatically locking the cam member. To unlock it is merely necessary to press the locking tongues downwardly as the cam is being turned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is:

1. In-a device of the character described a disc for closing the top of a jar or the like, a pair of jaw members having overlapping apertured ends, a jaw actuating member passing through said apertures and pivotally connected to said disc, said jaw members having interengaging longitudinally disposed ribs and recesses at their overlapping ends, and. co-acting cam means on said jaw members and said actuating member for expanding and contracting saidjaw. members.

2. Ina device of the character described a disc for closing the top of a jar or the. like, a pair of members having overlapping apertured ends, a jaw actuating; member passing through said apertures and pivotally connected to said disc, said jawmembers having interengaging longitudinally disposed ribs and recesses at their overlapping ends. and co-acting cam means on said jaw members and said actuating memberfor. expanding and contracting saidjaw members, and laterally extending oppositely disposed spring tongues on the inner. end of oneof said jaws for locking said actuating member against rotary movement.

3. In a jar closure, a closure member comprising a sealingdisc, a pair of'jaws having overlapping ends, said overlapping ends having registering openings therein, the outer end wall of each opening being formed with aflange, the outer ends of thejaws being bent downwardly and inwardly, a jaw actuating member passing through said registering openings and pivotally connected to said disc, and cam. means on said actuating member for engagement with saidflanges to draw said jaws together when said. actuating member is rotated.

4. In a closure member for bottles, jars. and the like, a sealing disc, a pair of jaw members having overlapping apertured ends, a jaw actuating member extending through the apertures of said jaws and pivotally connected to said disc, said jaws having angularlv bent intermediate portionsadapted to ride over the periphery of saiddisc with a downwardly pressing cam ac-- tion when the jaw members are drawn together, and co-acting means on saidjaw actuating member and said jaw members for drawing said jaw members together;

5. In a device of the character described a disk for closing the top of a j an or the like. a pair of overlapping locking members having depending clamping portions arranged transversely of said disk and apertured at their overlapping ends, inclined cam surfaces in the depending clampin portions of said locking members for shi ting same transversely with respect to said disk, and a cam member passing through the apertures of said locking members and pivotally connected with said disk for interconnecting said disk and locking members and expanding and contracting said members, said cam member being dimensioned to permit vertical movement of said locking members with respect to said disk, when the clamping portions of said members engage said disk. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FERDINAND NEUBAUER. 

